10 Incredible Things to do in Cappadocia | Complete Guide
- BY SANCHI LOHIA -
OVERVIEW
Fairy tales like landscapes, cave houses carved out of the landscape, bright hot air balloons flying over gorgeous sunrises, couples staring at each other over a breakfast table, doesn’t Cappadocia seem like a magical land? Well, magical or not, it is definitely one of the most Instagram-able spots in the world. We have listed the most incredible things to do in Cappadocia, Turkey here.The following list compiles all the incredible things to do in Cappadocia.
We also provided the distance and travelling time from the city center and tips wherever necessary, so that you can make the most of time there.
THINGS TO DO
1. Fly in a Hot air balloon at Sunrise
- Hot air balloons have become one of the symbols of Turkey tourism and a very common thing on travel bucket list items. The incredible view of the historic cave dwellings of Goreme town is a sight to behold.
- If for some reason you decide not to fly, don’t miss the view of over 100 balloons flying over Goreme. It actually feels like a fairytale. Just make sure to get to a terrace with this view at Sunrise(Almost all the good cave hotels in Goreme and nearby towns has such a terrace)
- Hot air balloon flying only happens at Sunrise. The pickup from your hotel is generally around 4 AM. This one of the most incredible thing to do in Cappadocia.
2. Visit a Salt lake – Lake Tuz
Distance from Goreme: Approx 180 KMS, Around 2 hours by car- Lake Tuz is a salt lake near Aksaray city. Especially during the summer season, due to all the evaporation, the color of the lake turns pink which makes the lake very famous.
- Apart from the pink color, the lake is known as ‘flamingo paradise’ as you can find many flamingos flying around here. We recommend doing this unique thing when in Cappadocia.
3. Go on a Ski Trip – Mount Erciyes
The beautiful Erciyes mountain is an extinct volcano. The higher points of Erciyes are covered permanently by snow throughout the year. You can go on a skiing trip at Mt Erciyes located at 3917m high volcanic peak. Even if you don’t want to Ski, you can just go to enjoy the snow and beautiful views.
4. Ride a ATV during sunset and take in the views
Riding an ATV during Sunset in the unique Cappadocian landscape is a must have experience. You can soak in the breathtaking views of the valley and its fairy chimney rock formations. Its not like another ATV ride. We recommend during this around Sunset for the best experience.
5. Visit an Underground city
- The Cappdocian region has numerous underground cities(36 in total). Out of these, Kaymakli and Derinkuyu underground cities are the two most popular among visitors.
- If you want to visit only one of them, we would recommend Kaymakli as it has different tunnels for going in and out. In Derinkuyu city, the same tunnel is used. This causes the people at the entrance to wait until it gets empty which in turn causes larger queues.
- Also if you are staying in Goreme(or nearby areas), Kaymakli is closer(around half an hour drive).
- This is an experience you wont find in many places of the world. This is what makes it an incredible things to do in Cappadocia.
6. Visit a fairy chimney
The famous ‘fairy chimneys’ in Cappadocia make up the unique landscape of unique rock formations and valleys of this area of Turkey. They were formed centuries ago due to volcanic activities. Today the world looks at these structures as fairytale-like, otherworldly formations that look straight out of a fantasy or science-fiction film.
7. Visit(atleast) one of the Cappadocia Valley’s
- In the central Cappadocia, there are 5 valleys which are easily accessible: Rose Valley, Red Valley, White Valley, Pigeon Valley and Ihlara Valley.
- Each of the valleys have unique and incredible views. While Red & Rose Valley have rock colours changing in every type of daylight, the Love Valley has giant penis shaped monuments. The view of each of these valleys from a Hot air balloon is breathtaking.
- If you want to see only 1 of them, we would recommend the Rose or Red valley as it views during sunset here are spectacular.
- Rose valley is particularly my favourite because of the way it looks at sunset. This is an incredible thing to do in Cappadocia.
8. Visit Goreme Open Air Museum
- This museum resembles a small and beautiful cave city. It looks like a big monastic complex with numerous monasteries placed side-by-side and each having its own church. This complex is home to exceptional rock cut churches and eye pleasing frescoes.
- Located centrally, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is on of the most visited site in Cappadocia
- The entrance fee to the museum is 25 TL per person.
- Click here to know more and book tickets/ tours. Don’t miss this Incredible thing to do in Cappadocia.
9. Stay in cave Hotel
- The Cappadocia region has valleys, rock formations and caves which were formed naturally. Over thousands of years, the early Christians carved out houses, churches and even hotels out of these caves.
- When travelling to Cappadocia, living in a cave hotel is the foremost experience you should have. The experience of living in a hotel which is carved out of the landscape is amazing.
- If you have claustrophobia, you should check for different kinds of hotels and choose the one with the open rooms.
- You can’t miss this. Its an absolute incredible thing to do in Cappadocia.
10. Hike or ride a horse back through Cappadocian valleys at watch an incredible Sunset
- The most famous way to see the valleys of Cappadocia is Hot air ballooning, obviously! The other best way to experience the beauty of these valleys is by Horse riding or hiking. Red and Rose Valleys are the most famous places to do this for the incredible views they offer.
- Horseback rides are more suitable for intermediate riders rather than beginners due to the rocky terrain.
- All the valleys offer hiking trails of a few hours to all day treks. Local tour companies also rent out bikes and ATV’s for the same.
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